Sale and dispensing of shaves



June 27, 1967' J. M. BENNETT SALE AND DISPENSING OF SHAVES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 0, 1965 SEA VE-O -MP\ T INVENTOR.

tT'oHN M. BEN NETT June. 27, 1967 J. M. BENNETT 3,328,103

SALE AND DISPENSING OF SHAVES Filed Aug. 5}, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4.

INVENTOR. TQ/HN M.BENMET?F J. M. BENNETT SALE AND DISPENSING OF SHAVES June 27, 1967 4 SheetsSheet 3 Filed Aug. 5, 1965 R. m E V W JOHN M. BENNETT June 27, 1967 J. M. BENNETT 3,328,103 SALE AND DISPENSING OF SHAVES Filed Aug. 5, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 L/A/zi N INVENTOR. U'bHN M.BENNETT [I a United States Patent 3,328,103 SALE AND DISPENSING 0F SHAVES .Iohn M. Bennett, 118 Riverside Drive, New York, N.Y. 10024 Filed Aug. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 477,441 21 (Ilaims. (or. 312-409 This invention relates to the sale and dispensing of shaves. One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a convenient shaving device. Another object of this invention is to provide a convenient sanitary shave dispenser, a single one or any number of which can be installed in airline terminals, railroad stations, bus depots, hotels, office buildings, theaters, restaurants, and amusement places, within their restrooms.

' A further object is to sterilize the shaving device which is inoperable until the sanitary cycle is completed. This device is especially adapted to aid the commuter. Further objects are applicable to installations made in railroad trains, airplanes and busses equipped with restrooms and in taxi cabs. This invention is provided with a shaving device which is of simple construction, is self-contained and is provided with an outside electrical power supply. Still another object of the invention is a self-contained unit which is easy to install, one which requires a minimum of maintenance and for which major repairs may be made by simply removing the defective unit for repairs and replacing it by one in operating condition. Other benefits of this invention will be seen upon considering the following drawings and description in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the shaving apparatus as installed.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of a single shaving unit being used.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the shaving unit as shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the shaving unit similar to FIGURE 3, but with the left side, front and top broken away showing the internal arrangement of arts.

P FIGURE 5 is 'a vertical section on a larger scale of the shaving unit taken on line 55 shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical section front view of the unit shown in FIGURE 3 taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a wiring diagram of the unit which controls the operation of the apparatus.

Referring to the figures in greater detail:

In FIGURE 1 the shaving units are installed in a room with ceiling lighting 2, aconvenient shelf 4, mirrors 6 disposed in the best position for shaving, and in which, a number of shaving units 8 are located each below its respective mirror 6. The units 8 are each provided with a constantly lit internal light 9 which illuminates the shaver 12 so that it can be seen through the glass in the glass windowed door 22. In FIGURE 2 the customer is standing in front of the units mirror 6 using the shaver 12. The customer uses the shaving apparatus in the following manner: The customer drops a coin 16 in the coin slot 14 located on the front of the unit 8. The coin 16 actuates a relay 38 which starts a timing motor 18 and in turn actuates two switches, the first switch 20 activates the shaver 12 and unlatches the glass windowed door 22, the second switch 21 starts the vacuum cleaner 24 which also disposes a scent. The customer then lifts the glass windowed door 22 by the lower protruding lip 26, removes the shaver 12 and proceeds to shave. Near the end of the. time allotted to the task of shaving a gentle tug on the shavers cord will be felt; this is to signal the customer to finish the shave. A short time thereafter the shaver 12 will be pulled by the electirc cord 28 into a cubical 3,328,1h-3 Patented June 27, 1967 30; the lower lip 26 of the glass windowed door 22 acts as a cam to lift the glass windowed door 22 out .of the Way of the shaver 12 so that it proceeds to its nesting cubicle 30. The glass windowed door 22 by the urging of gravity, closes and locks shut (the only means holding the glass windowed door 22 open was the cord 28). When finally nested in cubicle 30 the shaver is further vacuumed and scented, and the unit is unusable until the shaver has been vacuumed, scented, and properly sterilized by ultraviolet radiation from lamp 124.

I shall once again go over the cycle of operation, this time in greater detail with respect to the mechanical and electrical parts of the apparatus. The coin 16 is place-d in the coin slot 14 which directs the coin to a suitable coin box (not shown). The coin 16 closes a circuit through a holding relay 36 as shown in FIGURE 7 by directly touching metallic leaf contacts 32 and 34. Solenoid 38 is actuated momentarily when the coin 16 touches the contacts 32 and 34 and permits the current to flow through line 40. The momentary actuation of the solenoid 38 closes two switches 20 and 21, the first switch 20 maintains the current through the solenoid 38 by closing the circuit through line 42; the second switch 21 closes circuit through the timing motor 18. The timing motor 18 drives an output shaft 44 (which completes a single revolution every operating cycle) and has four cams 46, 54, 56 and 58, and a counter 59 (which counts the number of shaves sold keyed to it).

The first cam 46 is the means to end the cycle with all the cams in the precise starting position. The cam 46 operates in the following manner: As the cycle nears the end a flexible spring-like arm 48 is loaded as it contacts stationary pin 50. At the proper moment the arm 48 slips past the pin 50, and strikes and momentarily opens a switch 52 which momentarily breaks the circuit thin line 42 de-energizing solenoid 38 opening the switches 20 and 21 stopping the timing motor 18 and returning the relay 36 to the initial position as shown in FIGURE 7.

The second cam 54 has lobe 72 which depresses arm 60 of the switch 62 and closes the circuit through the door latch solenoid 64 which retracts the latch 66 unlocking the glass windowed door 22, and also closes the circuit through the brushes 68 and 69, collector rings 70 and 71 mounted on shaft 106, and activates the shaver 12. After two-thirds of the operating cycle the cam 54 reaches the end of the lobe 72 and deactivates shaver 12.

' The third cam 56 has lobe which depresses an arm 74 of the switch '76'which closes the circuit of the vacuum cleaner 24. The motor 78 of the vacuum cleaner 24 drives a rotor contained in housing 82 which draws air and shaving dust from the'cubicle 30, through duct 34 having a cover plate 86. From the rotor in the housing 82 the air and shaving dust is exhausted through duct 88 to a refuse container 90 where the air travels through .a bag 92 made of filter material trapping the shaving dust, and passes through duct 94 returning the cleaned air to the cubicle 30 through duct 94 returning the cleaned air to the cubicle 30 through orifice 31 which directs a continuous blast of air at the head of the shaver 12 (when shaver 12 is in cubicle 30) dislodging further shaving dust which is carried away through duct 84. While the air passes through duct 94 some of the air is diverted through tube 96 to the reservoir 98 containing a perfume perhaps with an antiseptic value; after picking up the scent the air leaves the reservoir 98 through tube 100 rejoins the air in the duct 94 and travels on to the cubicle 30 giving the shaver 12 a pleasant scent. The vacuum cleaner 24 is turned on at the start of the shaving cycle and remains on for about seven-eights of the operating cycle so that about one-fourth of the cycle is taken up by vacuuming,

3 perfuming and sterilizing the shaver 12 while nested in the cubicle 30.

The fourth cam 58 controls the rewind of the shaver cord 28 and the warning tug near the end of the shave. At the start of the cycle the shaver 12 is nested in its cubicle 30 the shavers cord 29 passes through a hole 102 in the top of the cubicle 30. The shaver cord 28 then passes over and is wrapped around reel 104 which is secured to a shaft 106. The collector rings 70 and 71 are also mounted on the shaft 106. The reel 104 is attached to a coil spring 108 so that when the shaver 12 is taken out of the cubicle 30 the spring 108 is loaded to tend to pull the shaver back. There is however, a ratchet wheel 110 keyed to the shaft 106 used to take the tension off the shaver cord 28; by having the pawl 112 engage the ratchet wheel 110. The pawl 112 is indirectly controlled by lobes 113 and 120 on cam 58, which closes the switch 116 and the solenoid 114 momentarily withdraws the pawl 112 and permits the spring 108 to apply tension to the shaver cord 28 through the reel 104 as the warning that the shaving time is almost up. A short time thereafter the lobe 120 depresses the arm 122 closing the switch 116 activating the solenoid 114 which withdraws the pawl 112 permitting the spring 108 to rewind the shaver conductor cord 28 and next the shaver in the cubicle 30.

While the shaver 12 is nested in its cubicle 30 after it has just been used to shave it is further vacuumed, perfumed and sterilized by ultra-violet radiation from the constantly lit ultra-violet lamp 124 which shines through the glass bottom 126 of the cubicle 30.

I claim:

1. A device for selling and dispensing shaves, comprising a housing having an access opening, a door connected to said housing and adapted to close the access opening and being movable to open the access opening, an electric shaver in said housing having an electrical shaver cord connected to said housing, said shaver being removable through the access opening when said door is opened to permit use of said shaver with the inner end of the cord being retained within said housing, ultraviolet radiation means in said housing to irradiate and sterilize said shaver, and vacuum cleaner means connected to said housing including an intake located adjacent said shaver when positioned in said housing for withdrawing air with hair dust from said shaver and a discharge duct for directing clean air in the vicinity of said shaver within said housing and including a filter located between said intake and said discharge duct for removing shaving dust.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having in addition the above described exhaust duct which is connected in parallel with a reservoir, contained an antiseptic perfume, so that a small portion of the air conducted through the said exhaust duct may be diverted and pass through connecting tubes to the said reservoir thereby transmitting the scented antiseptic to the shaver cubicle applying a pleasant scent, which also has an antiseptic value, to the shaver.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 having in addition on the orifice of the above described exhaust duct a nozzle or other such means to direct a blast of air at the shaver head to buffet the said shaver head and dislodge said shaving dust which would then be removed by the vacuum.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having in addition a means to rewind said electrical shaver cord attached to said shaver, including a spring loaded reel to which the said cord is secured, said reel being so designed as to have means to take the spring tension off the said electrical shaver cord until at a predetermined time the reel is suitable released so that it may reel in the shaver under said spring bias.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 having in addition a means to signal the customer that the shaving time 4- is almost up including means connected to spring loaded reel to give a gentle tug on the shaver cord.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 having in addition an electrical means to control the operating cycle consisting of a timing motor, a set of coin operated contacts, a holding relay, a number of cam operated switches, and solenoids.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 having in addition the above described coin operated contacts which through the said holding relay starts said timing motor rotating said cams, and having a means to end the cycle with each of the cams in the precise starting position by breaking the holding relay circuit.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim '7 having in addition the said holding relay consisting of a pair of coin operated contacts, solenoid controlling two normally open switches, means for breaking the relay circuit consisting of a normally closed cam operated switch, and suitable connecting circuitry.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 having in addition said cam having a flexible spring-like arm which is loaded as it contacts a stationary pin and at the proper moment slips past said pin striking said switch and breaking the relay circuit.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 having in addition a second cam keyed to the timing motor shaft which controls said solenoid for locking and unlocking of access door, and the power supply to the electric shaver.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 having in addition the above described second cam having a lobe to actuate a switch which closes a circuit through said solenoid which when energized withdraws a pawl to unlock said access door.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 having in addition a third cam keyed to the timing motor shaft which controls the electrical power supply to the shavers vacuum cleaning means.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 having in addition a fourth cam keyed to the timing motor shaft which controls said solenoid which controls the means to rewind the shaver.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 having in addition the above described fourth cam having a lobe to actuate a switch which closes a circuit through said solenoid which when energized withdraws a pawl releasing a ratchet wheel which permits said spring to act on said reel to rewind said shaver.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14 having in addition the above described fourth cam which controls means to signal that the shaving time is almost up.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 having in addition the above described fourth cam having a lobe which before final rewind momentarily actuates the above described switch which energizes the above mentioned solenoid withdrawing said pawl momentarily giving a gentle tug to said shaver cord as a signal.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 having in addition the above described series of cams which control these various above mentioned functions in a prescribed sequence; the second cam activates the lock and shaver simultaneously; the third cam starts the vacuum cleaning means; after an allotted time for shaving the fourth cam operates the signal; shortly thereafter the second cam deactivates the lock and shaver; the fourth cam then permits rewinding of the shaver, the third cam continues the vacuum cleaning and then the first cam ends the cycle when the shaver is clean and disinfected.

18. A coin operated shaving device comprising, a housing having an access opening, a door connected to said housing and adapted to close the access opening and being movable to open the access opening, an electric shaver in said housing having an electrical shaver cord fixedly connected to said shaver and connected to said housing, shaver retaining means in said housing for winding up the shaver cord within said housing and for pulling said shaver 5 with said cord into said housing and including means to lock the Wound cord with the shaver in a position within said housing, and means responsive to the insertion of a coin connected to said shaver retaining means to unlock said shaver cord and said shaver to permit unwinding of the cord and withdrawal of the shaver.

19. A coin operated device according to claim 18, including means to latch said door in a closed position, said means responsive to the insertion of a coin being connected to said means for latching said door for releasing said latch upon insertion of a coin.

20. A coin operated device according to claim 18, wherein said housing includes an outside housing and a shaver receiving chamber defined within said outside housing, said shaver receiving chamber including an opening at the top thereof, the cord of said shaver extending through said opening, said shaver retaining means including a reel upon which said cord is Wound located within said outside housing at the exterior of said shaver receiving chamber, spring means for urging said reel in a direction to wind up the electric cord and to hold said shaver at the upper portion of said receiving chamber, and means to latch said reel in a position at which the cord is wound up and said shaver is located within said receiving chamber.

21. A coin operated device according to claim '18, wherein said housing includes a first outside container for the operating mechanism of said device and a second smaller size container located in the front of said first container and defining a relatively small shaver receiver housing, and vacuum cleaning means located in said first outside container and connected to said second container for directing clean air against said shaver and for withdrawing shaver dust from said small container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,304,868 12/ 1942 Winthrop 26'1-121 2,323,290 7/1943 Bagley 21-ss 2,474,899 7/ 1949 Hutt 248-3 14 2,591,288 4/1952 Pitchfor-d 312209 3,172,416 3/ 196 5 Simmons 1'34-1 11 CLAUDE A. LEROY, Primary Examiner. OHANCELLOR E. HARRIS. Examiner. 

18. A COIN OPERATED SHAVING DEVICE COMPRISING, A HOUSING HAVING AN ACCESS OPENING, A DOOR CONNECTED TO SAID HOUSING AND ADAPTED TO CLOSE THE ACCESS OPENING AND BEING MOVABLE TO OPEN THE ACCESS OPENING, AN ELECTRIC SHAVER IN SAID HOUSING HAVING AN ELECTRICAL SHAVER CORD FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID SHAVER AND CONNECTED TO SAID HOUSING, SHAVER RETAINING MEANS IN SAID HOUSING FOR WINDING UP THE SHAVER CORD WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND FOR PULLING SAID SHAVER WITH SAID CORD INTO SAID HOUSING AND INCLUDING MEANS TO LOCK THE WOUND CORD WITH THE SHAVER IN A POSITION WITHIN SAID HOUSING, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE INSERTION OF A COIN CONNECTED TO SAID SHAVER RETAINING MEANS TO UNLOCK SAID SHAVER CORD AND SAID SHAVER TO PERMIT UNWINDING OF THE CORD AND WITHDRAWAL OF THE SHAVER. 